Elsewhere in Columbiana County

Crestview looking to improve softball dugouts

November 19, 2012

COLUMBIANA - A project to improve the high school varsity softball dugouts is expanding, and donations are needed.

School board member John Garwood said last week that after looking over the field earlier in the day it "definitely needs some improvements."

He and members of the buildings and grounds committee looked over the field during their meeting prior to the board of education meeting.

He told the board the decision was "unanimous" during the committee meeting that the dugout project be put on hold until a more detailed plan is made available, and so more funding could be sought to improve the entire complex.

Dynamic Structures Inc., has already donated $2,000 toward the new dugouts, which Superintendent John Dilling said would be concrete block. The current dugouts are wooden and falling apart from age.

Dilling was unable to estimate how much improving the entire complex would cost, but Garwood said it would definitely be more than what has already come in through donations.

"We really need to have a plan in place. I think-we think-it's going to take more than those donations," to get this done, Garwood said of the committee.

He also said that a fence should extend along both sides of the field to keep players from falling into a nearby ditch.

He added that although softball season starts in March, he believes the project could be put on hold for now and still be able to be completed by then if it moves forward.

In other business, board members heard from teacher Herman Miller about the Third Grade Reading Guarantee.

He said several parents have expressed concern about the new state law geared toward improving reading proficiency among third graders.

According to the law, all third grade students scoring below a certain level on the state reading test cannot be promoted to fourth grade.

Miller said parents are especially concerned about that facet of the law, and wondered if students would repeatedly be held back if they could not pass the test. He said they would not, that a student could only be held back one time.

The board approved a new policy for the reading guarantee along with several other new or revised policies during the meeting, including a revision to the graduation requirement.

Dilling explained that under the graduation revision blended learning classes will count toward students' credit in addition to their regular classes.

- Tuition reimbursement to six people in the amount of $100 per semester hour and $75 per quarter hour, for hours completed during the 2011-12 school year. Between the six people a total of 18 semester hours and 20 quarter hours were completed.